525600 Minutes
by Bonniecath
Summary: It has been a year since Carol upped and left Therese. No words, no reason, nothing. However, a chance meeting in the middle of an Antiques Fair, has the potentiality to change it all...
1. Chapter 1

The sun was streaming lazily through the flimsy blinds, which were neatly hung on the windows. The beams of light were picking up the little molecules of dust floating in the air, as Therese turned from her side onto her back to stare up at her mundane white ceiling. Another day, another dollar, she thought, as she swung her legs out of bed, before grabbing her white silk night robe and heading straight for the kettle.

Leaning on the counter, Therese found her eyes flicking to the photo frame she had positioned by the teabags. A photo frame she looked at every morning when making her morning brew, it contained the woman she once considered her soul mate. The only person, woman, in the world where home wasn't a place- it was a person. It was her. And it always would be her. Yet, her so called soulmate just wasn't there one day. No reason, no goodbye, just gone. It had taken Therese a year of uncontrollable sobs, therapy sessions, and not to mention to countless bottles of scotch to blur out the gaping hole that was missing from her life. A hole in which only this woman could fill, in more ways than one.

Therese traced her lips, caught up in the overwhelming thoughts of Carol that she had endured every morning, and would continue to endure until she moved on and met someone else. An idea in which still sickened Therese to the core. However, she succumbed to her thoughts hesitantly, as the sound of something falling through her letter box jolted her back to reality. Sleepily walking over to her door, she picked up the shiny piece of paper laying adjacent to her feet.

 **'ANTIQUE ROADSHOW COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU- be there, or be square. Next Tuesday, 9am-1pm'** _Trash_ , Therese thought, about to scrunch the spam mail up- until she noticed one of the sponsors at the bottom of the page. 'Woodard Antiques & Co.' Therese furrowed her brow, that name rang a bell, she remembered seeing contracts laying on Carol's desk a week before she left. Therese scurried over to her laptop, and quickly tapped her login details in before pulling up a Google search.

'Woodard Antiques' - nothing, no owner, no website. Therese leant on her elbows, as she carried on more Google searches. 'Woodard Antiques & Co- Carol Aird'. Here we go, Therese thought, as she pulled up a news article dating 6 months ago. 'New owner of local antique firm brings new idea to company, raising profits by 10%' Therese's stomach flipped, and her hands instantly began to clam as she desperately tried to scroll through the page looking for Carol's name. And then she saw it. A photograph of Carol shaking a hand of some man whilst coworkers looked on with glee. Carol was smiling, her grey eyes a light, her skin flawless, her blonde curls gripped back.

It was as if Therese's body shut down. She couldn't feel herself breath, she stopped blinking, her fingers froze on her keyboard, her eyes stopped processing what they saw in front of her. It was Carol, Carol smiling, Carol working, it was Carol. Carol. And just like that, a wash of anger flooded Therese's body, like a wave smashing up against the rocks. How dare she smile, how dare she get on with her life, and be successful when she left Therese with nothing, how dare it not bother her, how dare she for letting Therese become the shell she was.

Therese looked down at the Antique poster, and exhaled, before looking back at her computer screen. _Carol. Antique Show. Tuesday._


	2. Chapter 2

Water dripped casually from Therese's freshly washed hair as she wrapped a warm towel around her body and lazily found her way to her bedroom. Combing her hair back from her face, Therese reached for the antique leaflet that she had prominently positioned on her night stand, and traced her fingers over the bold name of Woodard Antiques. As her fingers brushed the glossy paper, Therese found her self sinking increasingly into her own thoughts about how she thought the day would play out. Her stomach was aching with anxiety, her right foot automatically tapping out every image that was flashing through her mind- seeing Carol, Carol seeing her, perhaps not seeing Carol, maybe Carol not seeing her. Maybe Carol _speaking_ to her, but also equally as terrifying, Carol _not_ speaking to her. Each thought burnt the surface of her brain, as if her body was punishing her for letting all these thoughts dominate her every move.

It had been over a year and a half since Therese had seen Carol, so she made sure her attire reflected the growth Therese had endured in her absence. Picking up her handbag, and slipping into her newly polished high heels, Therese headed out of her apartment and into a recently hailed taxi. Her watch registered 10:30am, the Antique Roadshow would have well started by now- which meant Carol would inevitably be situated behind a counter professionally flogging all her wares. Therese instantly became aware of the taxi driver looking back at her in his mirror inquisitively as if she had missed her cue for something, "Where can I take you this morning madam?" he asked mundanely. "Madison Avenue, thank you" Therese replied in what seemed like a whisper, she'd forgotten what she sounded like considering she hardly spoke to anyone these days. No one could compare to Carol, so why would she try and bother with other people who just didn't quite _do_ it for her like Carol did.

Therese could feel her heart beat at the back of her throat, as she casually clambered out of the taxi before adjusting her dress length and heading straight for the signposted Antique Show. Feeling like she'd been walking for years, Therese finally reached the first stall which marked the beginning of all the different antique companies who had gathered here today to show off, and hopefully sell, their goods. "Act normal." Therese ordered herself under her breath, the last thing she wanted was to show herself up and embarrass the only part of her left.

Weaving her way through the various tables, Therese found herself stopping dead in her tracks. She inhaled deeply as the ever familiar, yet distinct, smell of Carol's perfume hit her like waves smashing into the rocks. Therese slowly gazed to her left, inevitably following the smell that had rendered her paralysed, until her eyes met a dark wooden table with lamps, clocks and furniture.

All Therese could see were a pair of shiny beige high heels at first, and then two legs, then a beige skirt, a white shirt, and blonde curls that made Therese's pupils dilate at their sight.

There she was, there _she_ was.

It was as if everything around Therese had suddenly gone into slow motion. There was silence around her, all Therese could hear was the increasing beat of her own heart coupled with the sound of her rubbing her hands together anxiously as Carol gazed nonchalantly around; eyeing up the other stalls with a honest look of boredom and mundanity.

Therese could feel her feet moving towards the blonde woman, although she felt completely out of control of the direction she was heading in. It was like her body was a magnet, automatically being attracted to the women standing adjacent from her. Their eyes met after only a few seconds, Carol's widening as she saw the not so young brunette standing in front of her. Carol's lip broke out into a subtle smile, as Therese maintained steady eye contact whilst focusing on not melting right in front of the woman, which was immensely difficult considering the levels of emotions sprinting through Therese's body.

"Therese." Carol stated in her usual low tone, slightly tipping her head to the right in question.

"Carol." Therese answered, desperately attempting to maintain her ever slipping composure.

" I received a leaflet for this event, and only presumed you would be in the city for it. It's been months." Therese could feel her fingers intertwining as each second ticked on before Carol replied.

"A year." the woman corrected, looking down at her table in what seemed like shame. The atmosphere was tangible, the lump at the back of Therese's throat was throbbing with anxiety and the situation wasn't getting any easier.

"I feel like we should get a coffee. Because you know, you're in the city.. and.. yeah". Therese said slightly stammering.

"Err, well I have to finish- um, well, okay yes why not? Meet me by the phone box, say, 2pm?" Carol asked, finally looking up and into Therese's eyes.

Therese nodded, whilst subconsciously trying to unstick her feet from the floor without tripping up over her own feet. "2pm." she reiterated, nodding in agreement, before slowly slipping away from in front of the table and back to the route she was taking weaving throughout the various stalls.

It took every cell in her body not to look back at Carol.


End file.
